Dwyane Wade Discloses 2023 Kidney Surgery to Remove Tumour, Which Was Subsequently Diagnosed as Cancerous

Hall of Fame inductee Dwyane Wade has revealed that he underwent surgery in December 2023 to remove a tumour from his kidney, which was later found to be cancerous.

“I’m grateful I went ahead with the surgery,” Wade mentioned during a recent episode of his podcast, “The Why With Dwyane Wade,” released on Thursday.

He admitted that he hadn’t had regular health check-ups in a few years and only sought medical attention after experiencing stomach and urinary issues. Wade described having difficulty urinating and noted that his stream was weak.

“Why is my urine coming out slowly? Why is my stream weak?” he recalled questioning himself.

A subsequent scan uncovered a tumour in one of his kidneys. “I wasn’t looking into my kidneys specifically,” he explained. “But thanks to the full-body scan, they found something.”

The “cyst/tumour” necessitated the surgery, which resulted in the removal of 40 per cent of his right kidney.

“That was the first time my family — my dad, my children — saw me vulnerable,” he remarked. “It was probably the weakest I’ve ever felt in my life. During those moments of solitude, I was really struggling.”

“As a man, you never want your family to see you as weak,” he reflected. “It’s a hard moment to share your vulnerabilities.”

Wade compiled an impressive career before retiring in 2019 after 16 years in the NBA, with 15 seasons spent at the Miami Heat, during which he won three championships and earned all-star status 13 times. He also guided Marquette to the 2003 Final Four.